Tag Archives: Polyester

How was your weekend? Mine was an incredible! I spent the past 3 days on a buying trip through rural Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, and the people were super nice and friendly. I’m kicking myself for forgetting my camera, but oh well. I’ll go back soon : ).

Naturally, I bought tons of great vintage. Next months Sisters of the Black Moon auctions will be mindblowing! I can’t wait to drop this batch off to them in early November. Sister Sara will be in town then, so hopefully I’ll get to meet her!

Anyway, there’s no shortage of awesome till then. Here are some beauties the Sisters listed on Friday, sourced by yours truly:

All that glitters. This vintage romper came from the estate of a gal who was a circus performer in the 50s and 60s. This was one of her costumes! It’s totally smocked on the underside, so it has tons of stretch in every direction. Loaded with metallic gold sequins + has a metal zipper up the back. This is perfect for a glam rock inspired look. here

Insanely rare find! Semi sheer light cotton and metallic gold 1920s floral print party dress. 20s evening dresses made of cotton are a rarity, and usually originate from Belgium or France; this likely had a designer label at once point. From a prominent Wichita Falls, TX estate (the wealthiest American city at one point in the 20s, thanks to oil $$$). V neck w/ capelet collar, shirred sides @ drop waistline, geometric paneled skirting, and a subtle fishtail / asymmetric hem. If you’re after museum quality and wearable look no further. Great size too! here

Things have been slow at my day job, so I’ve been on a tighter budget for the past few months. I got tipped off to a hell of an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up on though, so I headed north for the weekend to do some buying for the shop.

In small town USA lives a guy who’s mother did theatre costuming from the 1940s-1980s. When the threatre closed, she got to keep all 15,000+ costume pieces (talk about a perk!) She died a few years back, but he never held an estate sale. He just hung on to everything, and stashed it in a barn. Until recently, he had no clue there was a market for old clothes.

Eventually someone clued him in though, the word got out, and slowly but steadily pieces have been sold off. When I visited him this weekend, he said there were about 5,000 pieces left. Much of it I had to pass on due to condition issues, but there’s still plenty of very wearable stuff, mainly from the 50s and 70s. And while I won’t leak #’s, I will say this: I got a hell of a deal. I love when this happens, because then I can keep prices lower too : D.

Anyway… it was the shock of my life to come accross such an opportunity. Things like this used to be the norm in the vintage clothing industry, but nowadays most estates get raided by museums and upscale Hollywood shops long before the public is alerted. I was honestly shocked by how much was left. You’d think a big name dealer would’ve purchased the entire lot.

Because I made other purchases from thrift shops, I only had so much room in my car. But believe me, I’ll be back to this secret stash of hidden treasure!

Here are a few pieces from the haul:

Disco divinity! It’s no secret that I love 70s poly dresses like this. And I love the clothes Frederick’s of Hollywood used to make. Best of both worlds. The 2nd picture shows the true color better, which is a lavender.

50s and gathered and floral and full skirted. Oh my. Jewel tones are so underrated.

Have you ever seen a 50s dress where the beading is fringed like that? That was more common with 60s dresses, which makes this quite an oddity. Pretty carnation pink lace, with a full skirt and rhinestones, faux pearls, and bugle beads on the bust. Fun.

Colorful + 70s + cropped length = the perfect top for mixing with this springs trends. This one has also sold.

The touch, the feel, the fabric of our lives. Not cotton folks, rayon. Smooth, silky, cold to the touch 40s rayon. Totally luxe; nothing has been made like it since, making this a rare treat. I love the color scheme of this dress. Plus it’s shirred shoulders and lil’ bows.

Obsessed. Vintage Bali crochet stuff is killer! Plus the embroidery and scalloped hems on this piece are pretty sweet.

Serious ‘what the fuck’ moment, in a good way! 50s halter dress w/ a skirting overlayer made of asymmetrical fishnet mesh… which has a beige paint splatters all over it. If Lydia from Beetle Juice time traveled to the Eames era, she would’ve worn this.

Oooooh yeah. I dubbed this dress ‘la Parisienne’ because it reminds me of Miss Pandora, one of my favorite fashion bloggers. I could totally see her in this, rocking some black Louboutin heels so the soles would match the print!

Amazing 60s party dress in a quilted rose print, with an empire waist and fringed hem. I’ll probably end up kicking myself for letting this go.

I can’t help but wonder who the actresses were that wore these, and what plays they were used in. Gigi? South Pacific?

There’s much more on the way of course. Just wait, honey child.

Hope you all had wonderful weekends and Valentine’s Days! I’m so glad fashion week is going on. I can’t wait to see what the fall trends will be.

I love how 1930s dresses were all the rage in the 70s. Fashions made back then paid homage to the era, but the edgiest fashionistas (the GTO’s, the Cockettes, Warhol Superstars, Stevie Nicks) took to wearing the real thing.

This lovely dress embodies the spirit of that era perfectly. It’s authentic vintage from the 30s, but was given a new love life in the 70s; when it’s original (likely tattered) lace insert was replaced with a new polyester one in lavender. The rest of the dress is of original black rayon velvet, with lil’ buttons up the wrists, soft tucks below the bust, and a metal zipper.

So very groupie/bohemian/witchy, wouldn’t ya say? It’s perfect for fall, but compliments the spring/summer 2011 trends well too. For only $74.99, it can’t be beat!

J’adore the 70s! It’s arguably my favorite decade for music (glitter rock, punk, rockabilly + teddy boy + mod revival… I secretly love disco too); and I love how fashions of the 1930s inspired most of the clothing. Additionally, the Women’s Liberation movement gave rise to a need for dresses which were not only fashionable, but fuss free. The modern woman was now preoccupied with her career; hours worth of ironing was the last thing she needed on her to-do list.

And so the popularity in wrinkle free, fade resistant, wash & wear polyester skyrocketed. Lightweight polyesters paired 30s inspired silhouettes made perfect day dresses, which could be worn to the disco by night as well. In todays fashion world. we refer to these as ‘secretary dresses’.

This darling dress is a perfect example of the secretary dress. It’s modest enough to wear at a day job. Yet it’s soft and flirty enough to wear on a date. I love the scarf style bodice draping and peplum. And those screen print hibiscuses!

Unlike many vintage items, this one comes in a larger size. And at only $29.99, ya can’t go wrong. It can’t wait to find a new home, and create more happy memories.

ABOUT A GIRL

Ramblin' woman with a heart of black gold. Treasure hunter/restless spirit residing in Texas. I sell vintage clothing to local boutiques, run EBay and Etsy shops, create vintage inspired goods, and take road trips weekly. I love to cook, am a firm believer in crystal healing and other holistic practices, and am on an endless quest for knowledge. Music, film, and art are very important to me.

This blog documents my various adventures and inspirations... when time permits.